]]>Retargeting is one of the most powerful tools available to advertisers. However, most companies aren’t harnessing the full capacity available today. These 14 under-utilized tactics can help bolster your targeting, increase your ROAS, keep your brand top-of-mind, and recapture conversions you may have otherwise lost.

1) Make Sure To Use Email Retargeting Lists

Sure, this might seem remedial, but it is surprising how many folks simply stick to pixels for retargeting efforts. Email targeting is an amazing way to target users across devices, platforms, and networks – even down to offline leads (those who sign up for notifications at trade shows, or enter contests, etc) to audience lists. With proper customer and lead lists, we can spread our message out across all main networks including:

The beauty of email address targeting is that various pixels are removed from the equation and targeting is based solely on address. This allows the marketer to keep targeting lists across mobile devices and networks the same, dissolving the need to start from scratch when a new network adds this capability.

The bad thing? This targeting does not work as well for B2B. Not as many users provide their business emails while setting up their Facebook accounts.

Pro-tip: Emails can be used to craft audience lists for both those who have visited but also converted when properly combined. For many retailers in today’s cross-device world, a pixel-driven converted customer list isn’t enough. A more accurate list of converted customers can be created by mixing pixel and email conversions.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Let’s say that we don’t want to keep advertising to those who have recently become customers. By only relying on pixel targeting, ads may continue to be shown to a converted customer on desktop/tablet who actually signed up via an app. By mixing both pixels and customer lists into a converted customer list, we can help to make targeting as accurate as possible.

2) Add Link Click Retargeting (Don’t Just Target Clicks To Your Site)

New tools out there like Geniuslink provide a bit of modern day wizardry that can help to expand retargeting lists — even when a user doesn’t visit your property*. These utilities allow a shortened link to perform the typical tasks (include branded URLs and look pretty) but also fire pixels when the click occurs. To illustrate: with this technology, a Twitter account can link out to Vimeo, never have a user land on their site, but pixel them in the process. Yeah. Powerful.

This is a great feature for brands and businesses everywhere as it can give them the ability to share third party content, while still obtaining a beneficial building in the process. This link-pixeling technology can fire all needed code seamlessly on the way to delivering them to their final (off-site) destination.

FOR EXAMPLE:

A brand’s Tweet sending users to a 3rd party review can now add them into a specific retargeting list – a huge win for tracking teams everywhere. Furthermore, any links shared by other accounts will also contain those retargeting pixels as well.
This removes the requirement of site visitation from retargeting and instead builds alternate retargeting avenues through simple link clicks out to any destination.

Pro-tip: This type of targeting is powerful – and easy to utilize incorrectly with the wrong strategy. Using link-click retargeting is great when people clearly know where they are going. You’d likely want to add a user clicking to read a review/watch a new product video on Vimeo/download a relevant podcast appearance/etc. The scent-trail is there, they are a potential lead.

However, using link-click retargeting on a link headed to a funny viral video or unrelated news article/etc may muddy up your lists and make them swell. The point of retargeting lists is not to have the largest, but instead, to have the best.

3) Don’t Leave Out Content Retargeting Networks

When you think retargeting, you typically think of big names like Facebook & Google. Other content distribution ad networks can help you deliver your message in a pseudo-organic fashion. Networks like Taboola allow marketers to retarget users with content.
Many times, this can be either mixed in with articles or found at the bottom in the “related” articles” or “promoted stories” section. Don’t be fooled, however, as this is very much driven by retargeting.

Pro-tip:In order to be successful with this form of advertising, your content is critical as it essentially is the ad. The content to use in ads should look further down the conversion funnel. So if someone arrived on a landing page about a specific service, making an ad (and supporting content) around exciting case studies or fantastic results is ideal.

4) Use Mobile Phone Numbers

As mentioned above, pixel targeting (and even email targeting) isn’t the only way to retarget. You can target Twitter followers, social ID #’s and most networks like Google/Facebook/Twitter support cell phone targeting lists. This is another great way to unify customer and lead lists across multiple networks and devices. Simply vet your list of customer phone numbers and toss in as their own audience – this will help give you extra coverage across all networks.

Pro-tip:Mobile number targeting may perform better in the B2B space. While most folks don’t sign up for social accounts with business emails, there may be a significant overlap with mobile numbers of leads and mobile numbers used in social account set up.

5) Retarget With Gmail Sponsored Promotions

You are reading this right now for one of two reasons:

You are looking at getting into retargeting.

You are looking at getting more out of retargeting.

If you’re here for the latter, Gmail Sponsored Promotions (GSP) are likely a venue that you aren’t leveraging in your retargeting efforts.

GSP may be one of the most underrated tactics over the past few years due to it’s ability to target highly specific and sought after terms. A little known fact is that you can also retarget through GSP as well. If your efforts are going well so far and you are looking for a greater reach, GSP is your answer – test away. Setup is simple and done right in the AdWords platform. There are no excuses to not give GSP a whirl.

Pro-tip:Don’t worry about CTR, Gmail Sponsored Promotions are notoriously horrific in this department. Instead, look at things like saves, forwards and of course, conversions.

6) RLSAs & New Search Partner Retargeting

Looking for the least sexy tip of the whole bunch? This is it. Advanced advertisers have likely been using Google Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSAs) for awhile. These allow marketers to remarket in the search engine results pages by optimizing bids to folks in remarketing lists, or by bidding on keywords that aren’t typically bid for in those specific lists.

Pro-tip:Last month, Google opened RLSAs up to include more than just Google Search, now including Search Partners as well. Looking for an extra boost and the most retargeting reach? Flip the Search Partners on and look for some additional reach!

7) UTM/ValueTrack Tracking For Analytics

Showing the value of each retargeting effort is of the utmost importance when looking to secure budget and prove value. Make sure you get credit where (retargeting) credit is due. To achieve clear and correct attribution, you should discuss all attribution modeling and make sure the proper tracking is in place across all mediums.
Using UTM codes can help inject campaign data into GA & other analytics platforms, while ValueTrack information can give even more granularity to your data. By setting up a tracking plan that covers all audiences, lists, and targeting, you’ll be able to confirm success and command more budget for the sources that work.

Pro-tip:Both Google and Bing support ValueTrack parameters and can pass additional information through regarding where traffic originated from. This can include placements, creative, keywords, matchtypes and more. This information is phenomenal for those who rely on outside analytics and yearn for maximum intel.

8) Retarget on YouTube

Much like the aforementioned Gmail Sponsored Promotions, Advertisers can retarget on Youtube directly within the AdWords interface.
Toss in your Audience List in the “remarketing” tab and you are good to go!
You can also target those that watched (or took action on) a YouTube video – off of YouTube entirely.

Pro-tip:If you don’t have video ads and are already using AdWords for retargeting, there won’t be a need to do any additional steps, so skip this. Just make sure you have text ads, 300×250, 300×60, 468×60 or 728×90 ad units.

9) Segment Away!

When building your audiences, you’ll obviously want to segment by content consumed and actions taken. The real value, however, comes from advanced segmentation. Would you bid more for people that spent a long time on your site but didn’t convert? What about those that view multiple pages? Page depth? Amount spent?

Think through what makes a visitor valuable to you and then reverse engineer specific and detailed segmentation to use within your retargeting lists.

10) Don’t Forget View-Through Conversions

When measuring the effectiveness of retargeting campaigns, marketers can get too caught up with instant gratification. When looking at reports, the conversion metric can only show one aspect of success, especially when bidding at the cost-per-click flavor.

Just because people don’t click and convert on your ads does not mean that they don’t view and convert from seeing your ads. Don’t give up on campaigns solely due to a lack of conversions. Make sure that there isn’t additional benefit in the form of view-throughs before killing off campaigns.

Pro-tip:Don’t be afraid to show different messaging to those that stop mid-conversion. If the goal is to push them through and convert, you can measure the effectiveness of some impressions by monitoring view-throughs.

11) Mix Lead Generation With Retargeting

Some networks like Twitter and Facebook offer Lead Ads that streamline the lead process. If you are in the business of attracting leads, it may be worth testing lead ads to retargeting lists. Instead of bringing these users back to your website, try turning them with a lead generation ad.

This allows customers to stay on their network of choice for a frictionless conversion — no site visit required.

Pro-tip:You can customize Lead Ads, making it easy to convert (while obtaining all required information).

12) Bid Higher For Traffic You Purchased

Not all traffic is created equal. Don’t treat it the same as your retargeting efforts. If you are dishing out premium dollars for paid search traffic, treat it accordingly with your remarketing efforts. Build out audiences for those high dollar acquisitions and don’t be afraid to bump your bids to bring them back – they are likely worth more than your average visitor!

Frankly,we haven’t heard as much about Gallery Audiences as we should have. These allows users to choose pre-built remarketing criteria from a library setting. They look quite similar to pre-defined attribution models in the analytics library, and instantly give people new remarketing lists.

To get to this feature, hop into GA and navigate to Audience Definitions, then click on Audiences (it only works on accounts synced with Google AdWords).

Once you’re in, you can choose from a variety of pre-built audiences that may work well with your business objectives.

Pro-tip:Filter by not only rating, but also by category to quickly find the best audiences to target.

14) Lookalike/Similar Audiences are NOT Retargeting

This is the last, but certainly not the least recommendation. When setting up campaigns, it is important to remember that more does not always mean better when it comes to retargeting (except in tip #2, where you are able to systematically target external links). In fact, most times a tighter list performs better.

When setting up your retargeting, you’ll likely be prompted by networks to target like-minded audiences. Depending on the network, this will be called Similar Audiences, Similar Users, or Lookalike Audiences. You should know that this is not retargeting. This tactic is fine to partake in, but it shouldn’t eat away at your retargeting budget (in our opinion). These can be very beneficial, but are more of an audience match than re-messaging, and that is a fact.

Pro-tip:Test similar audiences out in their own campaigns and see how they perform. This will guarantee that they don’t eat away at your retargeting budget and that they avoid diluting your retargeting numbers. This isn’t retargeting – don’t report it as such.

*Cypress North has worked (and is working with) Geniuslink on the product and marketing aspect. While we are not receiving payment for this post, we’d prefer to disclose the relationship for sake of full transparency.

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/14-tactics-for-expert-retargeting/feed/0Instagram for Business: Pros and Cons of Instagram’s Changing Platformhttps://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/instagram-for-business/
https://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/instagram-for-business/#respondWed, 31 Aug 2016 16:04:00 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8876The Marriage of Facebook and Instagram Instagram has had quite the last 4 years. When Facebook originally acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, not much initially changed for the platform. Nonetheless, it was clear that with Facebook’s back-to-back purchase of Instagram, and soon after going public, it had one word in mind: ads. Instagram maintained itself … Continue reading "Instagram for Business: Pros and Cons of Instagram’s Changing Platform"

Instagram has had quite the last 4 years. When Facebook originally acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, not much initially changed for the platform. Nonetheless, it was clear that with Facebook’s back-to-back purchase of Instagram, and soon after going public, it had one word in mind: ads.

Instagram maintained itself fairly independently of Facebook for the first few years of the acquisition. In 2012, going onto Instagram on any given day typically meant you’d see a lot of cat photos, grainy over-edited shots of babies, and selfies…ohhh the selfies. Instagram was attracting people who had begun to feel stale by Facebook’s saturated platform. Instagram was quirky, clean-cut, and above all, simple. Photographers, designers, artists, and brands quickly began to harness the power of Instagram to produce quality content, more curated streams, and using the simple app as a way to market their product or service. Expanding beyond the visual aspect of their websites, Instagram allowed brands to further develop their image and feel. On top of all this, there wasn’t a single paid aspect involved in Instagram. If you built a hefty following it was because people loved your photos. Photos appeared chronologically so there was no favoritism or algorithm involved in whose photo appeared first. It was based on strategy, cohesiveness, and an overall developed concept of what image you wanted to portray.

Enter: Instagram for Business

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of what these “business accounts” actually entail, it’s important to note that Facebook introduced ads for Instagram in 2013. And, as most things typically are received in social media, it was met with vapid criticisms, rapidly adopted by brands, and then quickly accepted by the public (because hey, we all saw it coming). Ads for Instagram had to be created through Facebook Ads using Facebook targeting methods tied up with a neat Facebook bow. Now, with a business account through Instagram, you can create your own Instagram-based targeting groups for promoted apps. Here’s the catch: it can only be done in-app.

Which is what leads into the fundamental benefits and problems of Instagram for Business. To be fair, Instagram only announced these business tools three months ago, so there are still many issues and kinks that need to be worked out before considering the tools a legitimate source of information for avid Instagram users.

Pros of the Business Accounts

There are a few very strong benefits of switching your brand’s account to a business account:

Ease of Contact:

Instagram now allows you to enter in your company’s phone number, email address, and physical address to your business account making it easier for customers to contact you. It’s simple, accessible, and effective:

Simple Insights:

Instagram also provides very basic insights into your posts and follower data.

The information you can access from these insights is extremely minimal. It is perfectly suited for a small business looking to get information on their followers at a glance.

You can also receive information about how many people clicked to your website and the most popular times and days your followers interact with your posts.

For all of these charts, the blue lines are all you get. While Instagram had to collect actual data to provide these insights, as a user you can’t actually access any numbers.

Simple Post Promotion:

Instagram Business accounts allow the user to promote a post without going straight to Facebook Ads. The record of the promotion and data are stored in your Facebook Ads account, however the promotion itself can be created right in Instagram using a preexisting or original post. Simply create the post, click “promote” below the image, create your target audience and budget, and send it out. The process is identical to boosting a Facebook post.

Cons of the Business Accounts

Again, for a small business looking to make a splash on Instagram, the business accounts offer free, simple, clean-cut information that can definitely help with understanding a target audience better. For an agency or a larger business, the business accounts don’t serve as great of a purpose as they could (and hopefully will in the future).

A Desktop Feature Would Be Great

It is very difficult to do everything in-app. Instagram is the king of remaining entirely mobile. While this bodes well for running ads straight from Facebook, it doesn’t work out as seamlessly when promoting a post from the app. Unfortunately, promoting a post on Instagram does not hold its worth at the moment as well as running a whole campaign. The results are not as great, it does not reach as many people (since you’re creating an audience through the limited business account), it is more costly, and ultimately provides fewer results.

R.I.P Organic Social

With Instagram’s new algorithm, brands who have either recently begun to use Instagram or have used the platform for awhile, didn’t post often, but gained a substantial organic following are going to struggle with the integration of business accounts to the Instagram scene. Facebook introduced a new algorithm for Instagram earlier this year that more appropriately benefited large brands and companies who were willing to put more money up front to get seen on Instagram. It was described as an attempt to get posts that users will engage with the most to appear at the top of the feed as opposed to the classic chronologically ordered feed Instagram had maintained since its inception. If you have a certain friend whose photos you always like, or a local restaurant’s feed you frequently comment on, their posts are going to have more of a precedent on your feed and have a higher ranking than say, that person from high school you still follow simply because they haven’t unfollowed you yet. This is great for mega brands with massive followings and cash to burn on ads. This new set-up, however, wipes out smaller brands with smaller marketing budgets from the map. In essence, organic posts on Instagram will and have taken a huge hit. If smaller brands want to remain relevant on Instagram they need to begin posting more frequently, running more aggressive ad campaigns, and boosting posts. Once more people begin to engage with their content, it will show up higher on feeds for those who interact most.

Although this is a profitable move at a good time for the app, anyone looking to make a splash on Instagram with just talent, a good product, and a developed image will have a hard time without fully adopting paid social.

So…What Can You Do?

Simply put: Instagram is never going to go back to the old-fashioned, chronologically organized, curated content-based platform it used to be, and brands need to try and adapt to the changed landscape.

Since Instagram’s take on 24 hour stories (almost identical to Snapchat) has come into play, it allows brands who have followers, but perhaps not a substantial number, an alternative opportunity to promote their product or service chronologically, without having any influence on Instagram’s algorithm. Many companies have taken to Instagram Stories to create engaging ways to interact with their brand. There is no data that can be viewed after a story has completed its 24 hour run except how many people viewed your story. Plus, the only people who will be notified that you have posted a story will be your followers.

Currently it provides branding power, however this new feature is an opportunity for Instagram to allow brands to promote their stories to targeted timelines in the future.

Instagram business accounts are still in their infancy. There are plenty of changes that can and will happen. We’re not ready to say goodbye to organic social as of now, but with the introduction of these accounts to the scene, it will become increasingly more and more difficult to have an impact as a brand without spending a some dough.

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/instagram-for-business/feed/0AdWords Ad Extensions: A Simplified Rundown Of Your Options, And Requirementshttps://cypressnorth.com/paid-search-marketing/adwords-ad-extensions/
https://cypressnorth.com/paid-search-marketing/adwords-ad-extensions/#commentsMon, 01 Aug 2016 01:59:18 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8838If you’re running any AdWords campaigns, chances are you’re using ad extensions (if you’re not, you should be!). And that means you’ve probably got a few go-to extensions that you know well and use often. But if you’re looking to beef up your arsenal and try something new, it can be a time consuming task … Continue reading "AdWords Ad Extensions: A Simplified Rundown Of Your Options, And Requirements"

]]>If you’re running any AdWords campaigns, chances are you’re using ad extensions (if you’re not, you should be!). And that means you’ve probably got a few go-to extensions that you know well and use often. But if you’re looking to beef up your arsenal and try something new, it can be a time consuming task to read through all of Google’s documentation on each extension. Don’t get me wrong, if it’s your first time implementing something you should read up on it. But ever wish all of the basics were in one place when you just need a quick check?

Me too.

Below is a pretty comprehensive list of all of the extension options available in AdWords, and the breakdown of how they work and what you need to get them going.

I tried to keep it simple here, so if you need more reference I’ve included links to the full AdWords Help page for each.

Callout Extensions

What They Are: Additional, non-linking text that can be displayed below ad text

Where To Apply Them: Callouts can be set at the campaign or ad group level

Sitelink Extensions

What They Are: Links to additional pages on your site (that must be different from the ad’s landing page) that can be displayed below ad text – to provide context, each link may include a description, but that’s entirely optional

Where To Apply Them: Sitelinks can be set at the account, campaign, or ad group level

Limits & Requirements:

25 character limit per sitelink (link text)

35 character limit per line of description text (2 lines)

Minimum of 4 sitelinks must be loaded in order to be eligible to display

A Note On Automated Extensions

As these are auto-generated by AdWords, they could be the topic of their own blog post entirely. Since they require no set up (in fact, check your account as they’re likely already running without you knowledge – yes, you can turn them off; use the link below to learn how) nor information to be manually entered, I’m not including much on them here. However, should you want to learn more about what the different automated extensions are and how they’re generated, check out the AdWords Help article here.

And Remember…

As with everything in life, there are no guarantees with ad extensions. You can have everything loaded up, show in the top position, and still not display any extensions. Your sitelinks could show, but lack the descriptions you set to display with them. If you have concerned clients (or need to ease your own mind) it can be comforting to point directly to Google’s documentation, as they tend to say it best:

There are a variety of factors that affect whether your review can show, including your bid, ad relevance, available space on the search results page, and other extensions or information.

There’s no additional cost to use any of these extensions. The price for clicks on ads with extensions, or on the links within those extensions, are based on the same formula used to determine cost-per-click of any ad. And in many cases, having more robust ads complete with amazing extensions can improve CTR and/or ad rank… thus decreasing (theoretically) CPC. All good things.

And finally, the list above covers just the basics and there’s certainly value in reading through Google’s literature on any extension you’re unfamiliar with. But you can always come back to this guide when you’re feeling rusty and need a quick reference.

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/paid-search-marketing/adwords-ad-extensions/feed/1What to Do If You Accidentally Claimed a Facebook Page/Ad Account Instead of Requesting Accesshttps://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/accidentally-claimed-facebook-pagead-account-instead-requesting-access/
https://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/accidentally-claimed-facebook-pagead-account-instead-requesting-access/#respondFri, 24 Jun 2016 18:46:34 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8826Facebook Business Manager is a fantastic tool that makes managing clients a dream. Companies can quickly give or terminate access to employees in a single location. In order to perform this task however, access must be requested to an account. Before we begin, let’s take a step back. Business Manager gives users two options for … Continue reading "What to Do If You Accidentally Claimed a Facebook Page/Ad Account Instead of Requesting Access"

]]>Facebook Business Manager is a fantastic tool that makes managing clients a dream. Companies can quickly give or terminate access to employees in a single location. In order to perform this task however, access must be requested to an account.

Before we begin, let’s take a step back. Business Manager gives users two options for connecting accounts.

The first is to “Request Access” to a page.
As long as your Business Manager Account is given the proper permissions, you can then perform work unabated on the page/ad account.This is ideal for agencies, freelancers, partners and consultants. It allows a company/brand to allow access (not ownership) to a different Business Manager account.

The other option is to “claim” a page. This means that your Business Manager account owns that page/ad account.This is ideal for, well, the owners of the business. If you do not own a business, you should never, ever use this option.

So what if you accidentally claim a page/ad account rather than request access?

The short answer is: PANIC!!!

At the moment Facebook has this as a permanent change that is non-editable, non-reversible and non-negotiable. You can do nothing about it. You do not pass go, nor do you collect $200. Claiming a Page or Ad Account has no recourse.

Embarrassingly we know this because when requesting access we unknowingly made the mistake of claiming the ad account. With an errant click on the option directly above the “Request Access” link I made an irreversible mistake. This of course is an error that is 100% attributable to me and my mouse, but having given our client the heads up to accept the request for access, the client accepted the request thereby giving us permanent ownership of the ads account.

Okay, so really. What do I do?

The longer answer isn’t a great one. You now own the account and may do what you’d like with it. There are two main routes that you can take:

Close the account and open a new one.
This is obviously not something you should do with an established page/ads account, but is the advice that was delivered by a Facebook representative. Thankfully this Ads Account wasn’t a larger one and had just gone through reconstruction so we won’t lose significant value if we do go this route. Starting from zero is simply not a prudent option however if you have made this mistake on a Facebook Page rather than a newer Ad Account that we’d possibly be willing to burn.

Wait for Facebook to fix this issue.
The great thing about Facebook is that they really do care about the product that they offer. With Business Manager still being relatively new, this inoperable issue may be addressed by the team and fixed in the near-future. After a few high-level accounts are claimed and the problem becomes more widespread, a solution allowing you to change ownership may arise. In the meantime, you can give Partner access to another Business Manager account so that your client can see everything as you do. We recommend that you be extra careful in all paid activities as your main Business Manager billing info will be injected for items like Boosted Posts.

Why this issue is extremely dangerous.

At the moment this is a golden opportunity for hackers/spammers. The opportunity to claim access on an account with the ability to own Pages and Ad Accounts with no recourse is the holy grail for digital dirt-bags. Companies need to be on high alert as the amount of fraudulent claims will likely be on rise. Pay attention to everything that you get and make sure that if you own a page you never accept anything that mentions “claim” in the message.

In Conclusion

Whether your agency claimed an account with an errant click, or you gave up ownership due to a misunderstanding, there isn’t (currently) much that can be down outside of closing the entity entirely. You can use this Facebook thread, an outlet containing troubleshooting resources or, if all hope still seems lost, your best bet is to contact Facebook directly and request that this feature is added. You can do so by visiting this Facebook thread, online contact form, or by calling them directly. Best of luck to you!

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/accidentally-claimed-facebook-pagead-account-instead-requesting-access/feed/013 Tips For Getting The Most From Facebook Live Postshttps://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/13-tips-getting-facebook-live-posts/
https://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/13-tips-getting-facebook-live-posts/#respondWed, 01 Jun 2016 03:12:13 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8792In a world of decimated brand reach, a new tool has risen that brings Facebook exposure back. Facebook Live has arrived and has been a boon for marketers looking to attract eyeballs to brand posts. While this new post type is fairly straightforward (shoot some video live) there are some tips & tricks to optimizing … Continue reading "13 Tips For Getting The Most From Facebook Live Posts"

]]>In a world of decimated brand reach, a new tool has risen that brings Facebook exposure back. Facebook Live has arrived and has been a boon for marketers looking to attract eyeballs to brand posts. While this new post type is fairly straightforward (shoot some video live) there are some tips & tricks to optimizing your efforts.

But First…

Let’s run through why you’d utilize Facebook Live.

– It is a great way to cover/announce/crowdsource content/interact with your audience. You can see questions & reactions and push our state-of-consciousness thought to the masses.

– Facebook Live is an extra (and instant) visibility boost. As Facebook continues it’s push against Periscope in the Live Video realm they push the reach of Live posts so creators and consumers use the post type. This means that you benefit during the arms race.

– You don’t need a different account. Unlike Twitter/Periscope, Facebook Live uses your Facebook Page to broadcast the message. Use your audience, no need to upkeep a new network!

Sold? Perfect, here are some tips to making the most of your Facebook Live posts:

13 Tips For Better Facebook Live Video

1) Connectivity is Key

If you don’t read and take heed to anything else, let it be this. Speed is paramount to a solid Facebook Live video. Honestly, in today’s environment, it is likely more important than all of the other tips combined. Here’s what a video may look like if you are lacking in the speed department:

Use a service Fast to see which team member has the best bandwidth and go that route. A quick connection is better than a superior camera any day of the week for Facebook Live.

2) Distance Yourself

If you are going to go solo with your video, spend five bucks to nab a selfie stick. Nobody wants a closeup of your forehead; an extension can give you the extra length to add perspective and background to your video. The most important part? The selfie stick will cut down on fatigue. Yes, you read that correctly. Try holding your camera up while talking for 10 minutes without shaking a little. It may bruise your ego to holster this item in your repertoire, but suck it up and crack it out when making Facebook Live posts.

3) Stabilize It

When looking to shoot video on the move, it helps to keep your camera from highlighting the motion to your visitors. Most Facebook Live videos in the wild have so much jitter that they should come with a warning. If you aren’t moving, a tripod is a must.

When on the go try something like a StayblCam that will allow you to use your phone on the go in a smoother, semi-pro format. Also, the selfie stick can take a good bit of shake away if you position yourself well.

4) Don’t Discount Audio

Yes, your cell phone does a lot of fantastic things. Recording audiophile quality audio is not one of them. Consider nabbing a lav mic or a shotgun mic to enhance the audio for your video. You can find improvements in the the low ( lav | shotgun ), med ( lav | shotgun ), high ( lav | shotgun ).

Just because the technology is remedial at the moment, doesn’t mean that your video & audio has to be.

5) OK to Start Over (If Caught Soon)

Live video can be scary. However, if you flub in the first minute or so of video – don’t worry — you can delete a Facebook Live video. If you aren’t happy with the intro simply stop the video, delete the post and start again.

Ideally, you’d pull the plug in seconds (not minutes) as you will have viewers and fans tuning in. You don’t want to delete their questions & reactions so pull the plug quick if it needs to be pulled. At the end of the day you’d rather have a great video than an average one.

6) Prepare to Pause

No wireless service is safe from drops, so don’t sweat it – plan for it. When shooting video you may see a drop in coverage occur. You’ll see a connections lost screen appear. Don’t worry. Just put a smile on your face and be ready for your service to catch up. Folks that catch the video in the future won’t see the drop and will instead see it patched together. So prepare and plan for it it happen (then hope it doesn’t).

7) Feel Free To Choose The Best You

Facebook Live has the traction it does because of the live and the post-recording viewers that videos attract. The post will give you a dozen thumbnail options to choose from – pulled throughout the video. Take your time and select the best one that will get folks interested in your content. Don’t see one you like? Feel free to make your own “champion” image. This will help your engagement and overall exposure.

Here NASA showed inside the shuttle instead of the wing that kicked the video off as it was more enticing.

8) Try Promotion

Yes, earlier I told you that Facebook Live brings back the organic reach. BUT, it can also be the cream and the clear of paid promotion too. Boosting a Facebook Live post is the best value that you can currently find in social media advertising. Set aside a few bucks and if your video is worthwhile (we know that it is if you’ve listened to the above 7 steps) your reach will become astronomical if you get it in front of the right target audience.

9) Hook Em With The Intro

Live video is tough and you should have a plan on getting folks to actually watch what they’ve started. Let people know what they are going to learn/see and why it is worthwhile. Or set up an intriguing premise that makes folks want more.

Give a few practice runs (or make a solid script) on what you’ll say and make sure that you set the hook on your viewers.

The goal isn’t to meander or ramble, instead let people know what is happening and why they should stay tuned for the rest.

10) Link & Track

Much like regular video, Facebook Live can add calls to action in post. Once completed use the best call to action and insert a link to further folks down the conversion funnel. Tracking using your company’s best practices will allow you to show-off your efforts and track ROI.

11) Start With A Smile

In the current stage of Facebook Live video, there will be glitches. From our experience the majority of technical setback come during the beginning of the video. To combat that, start each video with the biggest of smiles (instead of the look of bewilderment) and you’ll start your content out just fine.

Not feeling like a smile? Then get silly, throw out a wave — just make sure to capture your audience.

12) Add A Lens

Whether you are shooting in tight spaces and need a wide angle or you are shooting on premise and need a zoom lens, this can happen on your smartphone. For under $20 a clip-on lens set can be purchased to help you get the most out of your included camera. Make sure that you thoroughly test the video before you take it to the masses.

In this video we used a 4x wide zoom lens to really showcase to most in a small space.

13) Let Folks Know You Are Coming

Going Live? Great! Use Facebook and other accounts to let people know that you are going live. This will help to make sure that folks tune in and hear what you have to say (at the exact time you say it).

And that’s it!

With these twelve steps you’ll allow yourself and your brand to shine. With that being said, it is of utmost importance to remember that your message is key! The world’s smoothest, best looking video won’t resonate if the content isn’t phenomenal. Make sure your video will bring value to your viewers and these tips will ensure that the technological quality matches your efforts.

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/social-media-advertising/13-tips-getting-facebook-live-posts/feed/0Download or Disregard – Wishbone: A Guide to the “Hot” New App We Really Wish Would Go Awayhttps://cypressnorth.com/general/download-or-disregard-wishbone/
https://cypressnorth.com/general/download-or-disregard-wishbone/#respondFri, 20 May 2016 15:19:45 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8754App name: Wishbone Wishbones. Those slimy crescent shaped bones that you and your siblings would fight over to break in half and see whose side was larger (and more importantly, whose wish would come true). That is loosely the thinking behind the new app Wishbone. Create a posting comparing two things, and then have your friends, … Continue reading "Download or Disregard – Wishbone: A Guide to the “Hot” New App We Really Wish Would Go Away"

Wishbones. Those slimy crescent shaped bones that you and your siblings would fight over to break in half and see whose side was larger (and more importantly, whose wish would come true).

That is loosely the thinking behind the new app Wishbone. Create a posting comparing two things, and then have your friends, colleagues, and “popular celebrities” (full disclosure, there’s never any indication of who these “celebrities” are), and social circle determine which is better by voting on their own preference.

Think upvoting something on Reddit: but with poorer content, fewer choices, and a swarm of Starbucks Frappuccinos and Uggs. No kidding.

Compare. Vote. Create. Oh, and get constantly bombarded by ads. Wishbone favors extremely intrusive ads for Britney Spears video games, gambling apps, and other annoying pop-ups perhaps not suited for their 12+ age group target.

In the middle of designing a pressing comparison for your social circle?

Well hold tight, because every minute or so a pop-up advertisement equipped with sound, video, and a hard-to-find exit button will invade your creative process.

Additionally, Wishbone offers a “Daily Dozen” feature that allows the user to vote on some of the most popular comparisons. They are typically pop-culture based and relevant only toward kids 12-16 years old, primarily female. Teen Wolf or Pretty Little Liars, Justin Bieber or T-Swizzle’s new-do, or choose between two YouTubers you didn’t even know existed. It’s innocent, silly, and intrinsically worthless.

Is it Useful?

Simply put: no. Down the line Wishbone may become a useful app for retailers looking to gather insight on styles, trends, and preferences from pre-teen and adolescent girls. Until then, however, Wishbone is a useless conglomerate of sparkles, Taylor Swift, ABC Family shows, puppies, and pop-ups.

How We Describe It

Not an app for the indecisive. Although maybe it would strengthen their decisiveness skills? I can’t decide. – Sarah Burke (Internet Marketer)

Had poor UGC imagery, intrusive ads; a rather worthless network for any type of marketing. – Greg Finn (Internet Marketer/Partner, Search Engine Land and Marketing Land Correspondent)

It was fun for a minute, then I realized how old I am… – Jessica Budde (Internet Marketer)

How We Rate It

At Cypress North we’re giving Wishbone a solid 3/10.

It knows its target demo, has slight potential for the future, and can be fun if you are of that select age group, but doesn’t hold any other worth to marketers or businesses looking to tap into the new-app market.

Download or Disregard?

Disregard.

Nice knowing you, Wishbone. You had a good 24 hour run here at Cypress North before we knew what to do with you. Better luck next time.

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/general/download-or-disregard-wishbone/feed/0Firing Up Bing Ads? Crucial Differences Between Bing & AdWords To Consider When Setting Up Your Campaignshttps://cypressnorth.com/paid-search-marketing/bing-ads-adwords-differences/
https://cypressnorth.com/paid-search-marketing/bing-ads-adwords-differences/#commentsSat, 30 Apr 2016 22:08:39 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8696Does Anyone Even Use Bing? As digital marketers we tend to hear this question on a weekly basis, if not more often. And while the mere idea that Bing exists is enough to shatter the worldview of many Google nerds/religious Chrome users, the reality is that there’s a very large portion of the population that prefers Bing (this … Continue reading "Firing Up Bing Ads? Crucial Differences Between Bing & AdWords To Consider When Setting Up Your Campaigns"

As digital marketers we tend to hear this question on a weekly basis, if not more often. And while the mere idea that Bing exists is enough to shatter the worldview of many Google nerds/religious Chrome users, the reality is that there’s a very large portion of the population that prefers Bing (this includes those folks using it by the default settings of their devices – whether they realize it’s Bing or not). So yes, people out there are using Bing. And you should be happy about that.

Why? This segment of the Internet audience is often left untouched by the reaches of digital campaigns for several reasons:

“Google is working well for me, I don’t want to take budget away to test on Bing.” – Client/Boss Z

“I’ve never tried Bing Ads before. I don’t know if it’s worth it/I don’t want to learn a new platform/It’s too much work to start anew after everything I’ve done with my AdWords campaigns.” – You?

While it’s hard to argue with a boss or client who feels firmly about bullet 1, 2 or 3, you wouldn’t be doing your job if you didn’t try to advocate for at least testing on the platform. If you’re familiar with Bing and the potential for success on the network, you’re likely already pushing for it. But let’s say you’ve never tried advertising there… enter bullet number 4.

Making the Case for Bing Ads

Some marketers steer clear of Bing because the platform can be clunky (it’s gotten better), some of the targeting begrudgingly different (as you’ll see below), or simply due to the fact that it just feels foreign. Because so many people have the anti-Bing, or at least the forgot-about-Bing mentality, it tends to be a less competitive marketplace. Take advantage.

Aaaaand maybe there’s a little truth to the fact that the average Bing user is a little less savvy than most. This could actually be huge for you depending on who your target demo is. Maybe the product/service you’re selling lends itself very nicely to these type of folks. Again, take advantage.

Maybe you don’t think your audience is on Bing at all – and you might be right – but it’s 100% worth finding out. Before we go any further, I have to lay down the age-old caveat that all campaigns are different and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. But you’re a digital marketer and you have the power of data on your side. You have the freedom to test out new ad networks and keep rolling where it makes sense, pausing where it doesn’t. I’ve seen 4x ROI on Bing Ads versus AdWords for identical campaigns… and this was all based off of a “let’s just see if we can get any traction first and go from there” type of a conversation.

My point? It’s worth testing out Bing Ads even if you think your audience isn’t there. The data will show if it’s not there, and then you can shut it down. But hopefully the data will show that your audience is on Bing, and you can make gains from it. The only way to get the data though, is to run a test.

And for all the haters out there that don’t think it’s worth their time to set up a Bing campaign on the off chance it flops, there’s a painless solution. Takes minutes, if not seconds.

Importing AdWords Campaigns into Bing

You heard right! Bing Ads has a feature which allows you to import existing AdWords campaigns right into the Bing platform. This means you can easily pull in a campaign you’ve already put the work into building out with minimal additional effort.

This is an amazing option when you need to get up and running fast, but like any shortcut in life there are some drawbacks:

Certain settings will not be imported with the campaign – automated rules will need to be recreated in Bing. And multiple language targeting is not supported in the same manner as it is in AdWords, so you’ll need to duplicate your ad groups (much like the AdWords counterpart, Bing Ads Editor tool makes bulk changes easier) and set up targeting separately. These are only two examples, a more extensive list of what does and doesn’t import can be found here.

Imported keywords cannot be edited – attributes like bid and match type can be adjusted, but if you want to change the keyword itself you’ll need to pause the imported version and create a new keyword.

There’s one incredible thing that happens automatically upon import though, and this is a lifesaver especially in those trying-to-get-done-fast-I’m-going-to-forget-small-details moments. If the URLs in the ads you’re importing have UTM parameters appended to them, Bing will automatically swap “AdWords” or “Google” in the source field for “Bing.” Nice, huh? Tell me about it.

Note that Bing Ads will only import the standard parameters on your final URLs, it will not import any custom parameters you have set in AdWords.

So load your favorite AdWords campaign into Bing and get ready…

AdWords vs. Bing Ads: The Nitty-Gritty

My amazing colleague, Sarah Burke, once said

Google is like the person that has it all together but is too conservative sometimes, and Bing is like the party friend who is open to anything but is a hot mess.

She was totally right. But it’s not because Bing is a wild animal out there spending your pay-per-click budget willy-nilly while AdWords holds on tight and barely lets clicks come through. No, it’s because the networks are so similar that it can be easy to lose sight of what sets them apart. AdWords and Bing Ads might seem like carbon copies of one another on the surface, but the two are quite different when looking at how campaigns are set up and managed.

Fine-tuning one platform and copying everything to the other is a good way to start, but the work is not complete. Remember, these are two different ad networks and they are not the same. This is a good thing though. If every ad platform worked in identical ways and reached identical people, the world would be boring (and results would flat line).

So what makes Bing so different from AdWords? For the most part it’s all about the subtleties.

We’ve been keeping a running list of the small differences (with potentially big consequences) between the two ad platforms for a while now. Here’s what we’ve come up with:

Basic Settings

Budget

Ad budgets are the guiding force behind any campaign setup, and both Bing Ads and AdWords have users set budgets at the campaign level. Budget options, however, vary by platform.

AdWords requires users to select a daily limit for their spending, and that’s the only option available. Bing Ads is a little more flexible here as it allows advertisers to choose between setting daily or monthly budget limits.

Location Targeting

This is another area where AdWords gives only one option while Bing offers two. Location targeting in AdWords must be set at the campaign level. Period. With Bing Ads, location targeting is set at the campaign level too. But you’ve also got the option to set target locations at the ad group level (which trumps the campaign-level location settings for this particular ad group), giving advertisers a bit more flexibility.

Ad Network Distribution

Where ads are actually shown throughout the web is a key concern to digital marketers. Just like with AdWords search campaigns, the option to serve ads on “partner sites” (AKA non-search engines) is available in Bing Ads. But the verbiage in the ad network distribution setting is quite different between platforms. Long story short, the below two settings mean the same thing (only show my ads in the actual search engine results please):

AdWords

Bing

Aside from how these options are worded, a key difference to note is the location of this setting. In AdWords, ad network distribution is set at the campaign level. In Bing Ads, you have to set this option at the ad group level. Big difference there!

Ad Scheduling

This is an interesting one. Hold on tight, your mind might be blown shortly…

When running an ad schedule in AdWords, the dayparting is based solely on the time zone specified by the advertiser at the time of account creation (which can’t be changed). That means if you’re in New York and running ads in California, if you set ads to serve only 9am – 5pm, that’s Eastern my friend. So the folks you’re targeting in the Golden State will see the ads from 6am – 2pm, rather than the hours you likely intended. Of course once you know this about AdWords, you just have to do the math every time you set up an ad schedule, no big deal.

Bing Ads however, is much different. And I mean much. How does dayparting work on Bing? “Targeting times are based on the location of the person searching for or viewing your ad.” That’s an exact quote from Bing Ads and personally, I think it’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever “said.” There’s no math, no scratching your head wondering what time zone City X is located in, and what time it is there. Beautiful stuff.

Labels

Simply put – AdWords offers labels, Bing Ads does not. I know, I know. If you’re used to keeping those giant campaigns of yours super-organized via labeling, you’re going to need to find another way in Bing. Sorry Charlies.

Ad Types

Images

Womp womp. This is another area where Bing falls a bit short of AdWords. While AdWords supports a variety of sizes as well as formats for image ads, Bing Ads doesn’t offer a single one. If you want to run any ads on Bing’s Content Network (if you’re an AdWords person this is similar to Google’s Display Network), you’ll need to do so in the traditional text ad format.

It should be noted that while Bing Ads doesn’t offer full-on image ads like you’re used to seeing in AdWords display, the platform does support image extensions for your text ads.

Mobile

Both AdWords and Bing offer call extensions, location extensions, sitelink extensions, and recommend using relevant targeting options to better serve the mobile audience. So where do the platforms differ when it comes to mobile?

If you’re like me, you’re likely already separating out campaigns based on the devices you’re targeting to keep a healthy budget allocated between your mobile and desktop/tablet visitors. But what about those campaigns where you just want to capture everyone regardless of device? (I have those too, it’s ok!) Well, on AdWords you can specify a final URL specific to mobile on the same ad as a final URL meant for desktop traffic. Handy.

Unfortunately, Bing Ads doesn’t offer this to everyone quite yet (myself included, wah). Upgraded URL options (similar to what’s available in AdWords) are rolling out slowly, but many accounts still do not have this feature… more on this later. So for now any campaigns where you may be targeting all devices on AdWords, you’ll want to build out separate campaigns on Bing for mobile and desktop (assuming you want to send users to different landing pages based on device). It’s no big deal in theory, but if you imported campaigns into Bing from AdWords, you’ll want to make sure you tweak this before going live!

If you’re one of the lucky few with this feature already available to you in the Bing Ads interface, completely ignore the above and do a little celebratory dance!

Targeting

Keywords

Any effective campaign has negative keywords; they’re just as important as the keywords you’re targeting. And much like AdWords, the Bing Ads interface allows you to set these negatives at the ad group, campaign, or list (applied to multiple campaigns) level. But how those negative keywords are treated varies between the two networks.

In Google AdWords, when you apply a negative keyword, that’s it. The negative will block searches for that term even if that means blocking a query for one of your keywords. Of course AdWords will warn you with a keyword conflict notification, but if you don’t remove or reconfigure that negative keyword, it will continue to block searches whether you’re targeting that term or not.

The really nice thing about Bing though, is that keywords trump negatives. Yep. If you add a negative keyword to your campaign (or ad group) and it’s included in one of your target keywords, your ad will still show for related queries. So if you’re running ads for a service that isn’t offered in Indiana, and you’ve got “IN” as a negative keyword, your ad can still show for your target keyword of “service x in Florida.” Of course best practice says that you shouldn’t be blocking the keywords you’re targeting, but in very large campaigns it can be easy to slip up – especially when using lists applied to multiple campaigns. Bing Ads has your back here.

Location Targeting For Non-Search Ads

Location, location, location. Most digital advertisers use location targeting in their campaigns to make sure the right ads are being seen by the right audience. As mentioned above, the places where this setting is set is different in AdWords versus Bing. But there’s another key difference between the platforms’ location settings that affect ads placement. And in my opinion, Bing falls a bit short on this one.

In AdWords, if you want to show your ads on the Display Network you’re 100% free to do so in the geographic locations you’re targeting for the campaign. With Bing Ads though, you can only show your ads on the Content Network if you’re targeting the entire US. This is right about where I start to think of Sarah’s party-animal friend Bing as a negative rather than applauding the network for being free-spirited. C’mon Bing, stop showing your ads to the whole country, I only wanted New Yorkers to see them…

Conversion Tracking

Tracking Templates

As I alluded to above, one of the big items setting AdWords and Bing apart right now – for many accounts at least – are tracking templates or the lack thereof. If you’re an AdWords user, you’re likely quite familiar with the upgraded URL options and tracking templates available which make it easier to manage your tracking parameters at scale.

This is a relatively new feature even as far as AdWords is concerned, so as you can imagine Bing Ads is working on rolling out a very similar feature… but it hasn’t reached the masses yet. Be patient, it’s coming.

Single vs. Multiple Tracking Codes

AdWords and Bing Ads share many similarities when it comes to conversions, such as the maximum length of the conversion window, ability to assign a value, etc. But there’s one important distinction between the two: how the conversion tracking code is implemented on your site.

With AdWords, you have the option of tying Google Analytics goals into your conversions and using those to measure PPC success, or you can use the AdWords-specific conversion tracking code to count conversion actions. If you go with the latter, you’ll need to configure each type of conversion (assuming you have multiple) separately and a unique conversion tracking tag will be generated for each of these conversions. You’ll need to place that tag specifically on the page where the conversion occurs (Google Tag Manager can help you do this without assistance from your development team).

With Bing however, things work slightly differently. Bing Ads uses what’s called the Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag to track conversions. If you’re familiar with the Facebook Ads pixel, it’s a similar implementation. If you’re not familiar, here’s how it works: the UET tag is placed across your entire website. You’ll then need to create specific conversion goals within the Bing Ads interface that will be tracked by this universal tag. Similarly to how Google Analytics goals function, you can set up a conversion goal in a number of ways, some of which require alteration of the UET tag on specific pages (again – great place to be using Tag Manager to save yourself some headache). Configuring these goals could be the topic of an entirely separate blog post, so I’ll leave it at that.

There You Have It

Really when it all boils down, AdWords and Bing Ads are more similar to each other than any other ad platforms out there. And once you master one, it’s not too difficult to learn the ways of the other. Now that you’re armed with the key differences that some of us had to stumble upon to learn, it should be smooth(ish) sailing when you go to fire up your first Bing Ads campaign.

If you run into any other slightly (or completely) different settings, features, or functions between AdWords and Bing Ads in your travels, please share them in the comments below!

Need a second pair of eyes? Feeling totally overwhelmed with your Bing Ads or AdWords account? Give us a shout. We’d love to help you make the most out of your paid search campaigns.

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/paid-search-marketing/bing-ads-adwords-differences/feed/1Getting Started With Google Tag Managerhttps://cypressnorth.com/search-engine-optimization/getting-started-google-tag-manager/
https://cypressnorth.com/search-engine-optimization/getting-started-google-tag-manager/#respondThu, 31 Mar 2016 16:46:10 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8621What is Google Tag Manager? Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tool that gives users a way to add code to a website without having to log in to the backend and manually add to the source code every time. This takes web development and coding skills out of the equation, and is an easy … Continue reading "Getting Started With Google Tag Manager"

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tool that gives users a way to add code to a website without having to log in to the backend and manually add to the source code every time. This takes web development and coding skills out of the equation, and is an easy way for anyone to add and update tracking codes all in one place in a consistent fashion.

The Google Tag Manager code is the only code that needs to be manually added to the source code of the website you’re working with. Think of this as a container that is installed once, then gives you access to add or remove items right out of the container. Once installed, each code that is added within GTM will fire on any page that your GTM code is placed on (it should be added to every single page of the website – more specifics on installation to come!).

Common codes that you might add with Google Tag Manager include:

Google Analytics

AdWords Conversion Codes

AdWords Remarketing Code

Bing UET Code

Facebook Tracking Pixel

Twitter Tracking Pixel

Just about any other tracking code!

Beyond adding these codes, there are a handful of additional features that GTM has to offer. You can create tracking conditions that allow you to see things like how many people are viewing the informational videos on your website and how much of the video they are viewing. You could also track transaction and revenue information on your website and send the data to Google Analytics. Or, you can set up a condition that shows a user a retargeted ad after they spend a certain amount of money/time on your website. The possibilities are endless!

If you know what you want to accomplish or see, there is most likely a way to do it in GTM – you just need to learn how. That’s what we’re here for! Once you learn about the main components of GTM, how they work, and when to use them, you’ll be able to create the combinations that work for you in no time.

But first, why should you use Google Tag Manager and read this guide to help you do it?

The Benefits of Using Google Tag Manager

It’s A Time SaverNot having to navigate through a website’s code or work with a developer to add or update every code to your website means that you’ll be able to implement and update your tracking quickly and efficiently.

No Advanced Coding Skills RequiredYou don’t need to be a web developer or know one to manage website tags through GTM. It uses a very simple interface that you can implement tags in without having to worry about messing anything up in the website’s code.

Everything All In One PlaceYou can log in to one place, and all of your codes from the platforms you use are right there in front of you. Adding all of your tags the manual way might mean jumping around from page to page in the backend of your website to add the codes where you need them. In GTM, you can tell it where and when to fire each code.

UniformityYou can have all conversion codes from various networks fire on the exact same action. You don’t have to worry about tracking codes located in different locations – one trigger can fire all of them at the same time.

Infinite possibilities!
The custom tracking options in GTM will give you insights into campaign performance and user behavior that is not available in Google Analytics alone or the platforms you use.

Ready to start using GTM to ramp up your marketing campaigns? Here’s how to get started.

Creating an Account

In order to set up a Google Tag Manager (GTM) account, you first need an existing Google Account. If you use Gmail or any other Google products, you’re all set and just need to sign in to GTM.

You’ll then be brought to this page, where you’ll be introduced to two things: Accounts and Containers.

In the first step, you’ll set up your account. Here you will enter the name of the business or website that you’ll be using GTM for. You typically only need to create one Account per business, because most additional needs can be accommodated with containers within your account.

In the second step, you’ll set up your container. In the empty box, enter in the website URL or a descriptive name of the website that you’ll be implementing GTM on.

Finally, you’ll choose whether you’ll be using GTM on a website (Web) or an app (iOS or Android). You can only select one here, so if your app is compatible with both iOS and Android, you’ll need to create an individual containers for each within the same account.

Once you hit Save, you’ll be prompted with the Terms of Agreement. After you hit “Yes” to agree, your unique GTM code will pop up. This code will need to be implemented on every page of the website.

Implementation

To add the GTM code to your website, you’ll need to copy and paste the GTM code either from the original pop-up after you created your account, or navigate to Admin > Install Google Tag Manager if you clicked away from the box. This code will need to appear immediately after the openingtag on every page of the site.

If you work with a web developer, simply send them this code and let them know where it needs to be installed. If you’re working on your own, you’ll need a little familiarity with navigating around the backend of a website and source code. Here’s how the code can be installed:

Log in to the backend of your website

Copy the appropriate GTM code for the container you’re working with

Paste the code after the openingtag in the source code of each website page

If you’re using WordPress, a Google Tag Manager plug-in can be installed that will accomplish this for you. While we don’t use plugins to run GTM, there are many that exist (you’ll want to fully vet them on your own):

Now that GTM is installed on your website, you’re ready to log in and start putting together the pieces for tracking success!

Understanding The Pieces

Before you start using GTM, it’s important to understand each component of it and how they work together. This will ensure proper set up, and give you the knowledge to put together customized and more advanced tracking strategies in the future.

Tags

A Tag is a snippet of code that you would like to appear when a specific action takes place on your website. This could be conversion code from AdWords when a purchase is made, a Bing UET or Google Analytics code that should appear on every page of the site, AdWords remarketing code, or anything else. Really – if the product that you’re looking for is not offered, choose the Custom HTML Tag option to add just about anything else!

Not only does this house all of your codes from different products in one place, but also, many times you don’t even need to add the entire snippet of code. With Google Analytics, for example, you only need to add the Tracking ID.

Creating a Tag

Now that you understand what a tag is, here’s how to create one:

Click on Tags in the left-hand menu and select Tags. Click on New to create a new tag.

That will bring you here:

First, give your tag a name that clearly states what it’s for, so you can easily find what you’re looking for every time you’re in GTM.

Next, choose the product that the tag is associated with. If you can’t find the product that you need, no worries! You can select the Custom HTML Tag option and insert your code there.

Once you have that all set, you’ll choose where you want your tag to fire – this is where Triggers come in. If it’s a code that needs to appear on all pages of the site, like a Google Analytics code, you can simply select All Pages and be done.

If you’d like it to only fire on some pages or a particular page, like a Thank You page, select Some Pages, and you’ll be prompted to choose the page you’re looking for from Page View triggers that you already have set up. You can also select a click trigger, form trigger, or click More to select from any other existing Triggers that you have created.

If you do not have any Triggers set up yet, you have 2 options:

Click More, and then click New to create a new Trigger

Exit out of the Tag area, and go to the Trigger area to create a new trigger, so it is ready to be selected when you go back to create your tag.

Now that your tag is paired up with a trigger, click on Create Tag!

Triggers

As we touched on before, a trigger is where you can define what needs to happen in order for your tags to fire. Examples of this are a user landing on a specific page (Page View trigger), or clicking on a submit button after they’ve filled out a contact form (Click trigger). Although there are pre-made triggers such as these available, there is also the option to create a completely Custom Event if what you’re trying to accomplish is not available in the pre-made options.

Creating a Trigger

To create a trigger, click on Triggers in the left-hand menu and then click New to create a new trigger.

That will bring you here:

Start by giving your trigger a name that is descriptive of what you’re creating it to do. This will make it easy for you to select the right trigger when you’re creating tags in the future.

Next, choose the event type. Being familiar with what each event type means will help you make the best selection:

Page View: Trigger fires when a page loads. This can be configured to fire as soon as the page starts to load, or when it is fully loaded, called DOM ready. DOM ready is required when tracking dynamic values, such as e-commerce tracking through Google Analytics that is pulling in the value of each transaction. If you’re tracking a Thank You page or something similar, the Page View trigger type should suffice.

Click: Trigger is fired when a user clicks on a designated link or element on the website. These are useful when a Submit button does not lead to a separate page that can be tracked, but rather populates a “thank you” message the same page, for example.

Form Submission: Trigger is fired when a user successfully fills out a form on your website and submits it.

History Change: Trigger is fired when a URL fragment changes (anything following a # in a URL). If there are any clicks on a website that would lead to a URL fragment change, such as a link that takes the user to a different area of the same page, or making a section that causes dynamic information to populate, this trigger is for you!

Javascript Error: Trigger is fired when GTM recognizes a Javascript error on a page. Once this information is pulled into Google Analtyics, you can review the errors and fix them.

Timer: Trigger is fired at an interval of time and maximum number of times that you specify. Use this if you’d like to track more precise time-based metrics than Google Analytics allows.

Custom Event: If none of the above triggers suit your needs, you’re in luck! You can create a custom event to accomplish exactly what you want. Things get a little more complicated when creating a custom event, as several additional steps are required outside of creating the trigger itself. There are many step-by-step guides that friendly folks around the web have created to track a particular goal using custom events, so doing a simple search for what you a trying to track might bring you to the exact steps you need to take when creating a custom event. If not, understanding the different aspects of GTM and getting some practice working with it should set you on the path to put together any unique custom event.

Now back to creating that Trigger that we started with – after you’ve made your decision and chosen the best Event type that works for your needs, it’ll be time to configure your trigger. Depending on the Event that you chose, the options in this section will vary. Select the options that are best in line with the goals of your trigger and go ahead and hit Create Trigger!

Variables

Defining variables is an additional step that you can take when creating triggers to control where your tags fire. For example, if you’re creating a Page View trigger, you can make your trigger more specific by defining what the URL, hostname, path or referrer is of the page that you are tracking.

In the Variables section in the left-hand menu, you’ll find a variety of pre-built variables provided by GTM. Here, you can select as many variables as you need, and they will appear as options when creating a trigger. In the example below, all of the variables under the Pages selection are selected.

Now, when you’re ready to create your extra-targeted Page View trigger, you’ll see all of the variables you selected show up (as long as you select Some Pages and not All Pages):

If the variable that you need is not pre-built, you have the option to create your own by selecting “New Variable…” in the menu shown above or navigating to the Variables section of GTM, and clicking New under User-Defined Variables.

The Data Layer

The data layer is where information is passed from your website to GTM. While it’s not always necessary to implement, it is recommended in order to maximize GTM’s capabilities for trickier conversions. It’s especially important when dealing with custom events and variables (it’s still possible to work with variables without the data layer, but it is necessary when working with custom events).

Using the data layer in tandem with GTM makes the information passing process seamless between your website and GTM. GTM is specifically designed to reference the data layer and look for any variables or information that you want it to, rather than leaving it up to GTM to scan an entire webpage for these items.

Implementing The Data Layer

To add the data layer to your website, the following code should be added to the head above the GTM container snippet and feature specific information related to an action. For example, after someone clicks on a quote request, you could fire the following:

Remember, the Data Layer simply helps you pass advanced information or flag a conversion on an advanced conversion type. If you are just trying to see if a user visited a page or stayed for a set period of time, you won’t need the data layer at all. For full implementation on the Data Layer, browse through the official Google Developer’s page and see the possibilities!

You’ve created all your tags and triggers! Now what?

Use the Preview and Debug Tool. This tool allows you to check for any issues with your tags firing before you publish them. It can be found by clicking on the arrow next to Publish in the top right-hand corner.Once you hit Preview, visit the website that you’re checking. You’ll see this console of information appear at the bottom of the screen.There are a few different areas you can view through the options in the left-hand menu. Within those areas, you can find out how they apply to Tags, Variables and the Data Layer, by selecting each one in the top left area of the console.For a basic look at whether your tags are firing when and where they should, staying in the Summary area with Tags selected on the top will give you this information. If everything looks as it should, you’re good to go! If there is a tag that is not firing that should, or vice versa, double check the set up of your tags and triggers to make sure it’s all correct.Once you’ve troubleshot any issues and you’re happy with the way everything is set up, you can leave Preview mode back in GTM by clicking Leave Preview Mode:

Make sure you publish your changes! The changes you made in GTM will not go into effect until you hit the Publish button in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Install Tag Assistant. Tag Assistant is a free Chrome extension created by Google that lets you know if your tags are firing properly or not. One of the main reasons to use Tag Assistant in addition to the Preview and Debug Tool is that if there is an issue with one of your tags, Tag Assistant will provide detailed information as to what is going wrong and what you can do to fix it. In addition to alerting you of any errors, Tag Assistant also lets you know about any improvements that can be made to your tag set up. Having all of your tags set up in the most ideal way possible will ensure accurate tracking and data.

Conclusion

There you have it! You should now have the knowledge and marketing power to set up the tags you need to accomplish your goals and have the data available to show your clients, internal team, or to just have on hand for your own tracking purposes.

Have any questions about getting started with Google Tag Manager? Feel free to leave us a comment below.

Or, contact us if you don’t have time in your busy schedule to get started with GTM yourself. We can handle it for you!

]]>Running Nginx and PHP-FPM is a pretty great setup for the most part. One thing we’ve struggled with on occasion however are some problems with unclear error messages and non-obvious solutions. One of those instances involved the following generic error message in the nginx logs:

That’s a pretty broad error message used to indicate all types of problems and usually you look elsewhere for a clue, like the php logs. Unfortunately, none of the other system logs had any information related to the error.

We started seeing this message immediately after a distribution upgrade from Debian 7 Wheezy to Debian 8 Jessie which made the scope of the problem very large. The strangest symptom was that PHP applications would work intermittently. One request would execute fine, the next page load would fail with the 500 error. Restarting nginx and php might allow the first few requests to work and then it would start failing again.

We tried a lot of things to fix this, pouring over the usual culprits like listener pool exhaustion, file permission and ownership, etc. before the real problem was discovered.

Opcode Cache

When the server was running Debian 7 we had XCache configured for the opcode cache on PHP 5.4 (the stable version for Debian 7). With the upgrade to Debian 8, PHP was upgraded to 5.6 and, along with it, the Zend opcode cacher was installed and enabled by default. The two opcode caches went to war behind the scenes, wreaking havoc on PHP applications.

In case you’re not familiar with what an opcode cache does, here’s the short version. Since PHP is an interpreted language, the system reads PHP code on demand and compiles it down to machine code for each request to run the application. An opcode cacher optimizes this process by caching the compiled code and storing it in RAM where it can be reused without recompiling on the next request. This greatly improves the performance of PHP applications by making it behave more like a compiled application.

Based on the above description you can imagine why having two opcode caches running simultaneously would cause problems. It’s a crap shoot as to which engine had cached the compiled code and which will serve up the result for a request. This has the effect of delivering a broken / partially compiled application and causing the 500 server error.

The Fix

To identify the issue, simply execute the following command at the terminal and read the output:

php -v

If you see more than one cache system listed, you’re going to have a bad time.

Just one opcode system listed here as it should be

When the problem was happening, XCache was also listed here along side the Zend OPcache.

The solution is simple enough, uninstall one! I chose to remove my trusty XCache in favor of Zend since it now came bundled with the PHP package in Debian 8.

]]>https://cypressnorth.com/programming/500-internal-server-error-readv-failed-104-connection-reset-peer-reading-upstream-solved/feed/0How To Use Email Addresses For Ad Targeting On Google, Facebook & Twitterhttps://cypressnorth.com/display-advertising-and-retargeting/email-address-targeting-google-facebook-twitter/
https://cypressnorth.com/display-advertising-and-retargeting/email-address-targeting-google-facebook-twitter/#respondMon, 29 Feb 2016 15:54:52 +0000http://cypressnorth.com/?p=8561Targeting the inbox has been a fixture in the marketing mix for the past decade. However, thanks to new targeting enhancements, emails addresses can now be used for even more marketing goodness. Email address can now be used to target previous customers and (opted in) contacts through the use of ads and custom audiences. This adds additional levels … Continue reading "How To Use Email Addresses For Ad Targeting On Google, Facebook & Twitter"

]]>Targeting the inbox has been a fixture in the marketing mix for the past decade. However, thanks to new targeting enhancements, emails addresses can now be used for even more marketing goodness. Email address can now be used to target previous customers and (opted in) contacts through the use of ads and custom audiences. This adds additional levels of reach and frequency for advertisers who are trying to target a set audience of emails. In an age of dropping deliverability rates and low click-through rates paying to reach these customers via ads has evolved into a go-to option for many marketers.

To help you navigate the seas of targeting ads by email addresses, we made a comprehensive guide on how you can use Google AdWords’s Customer Match, Facebook’s Custom Audiences and Twitter’s Tailored Audiences to target outside of the inbox.

Protip:
All of these networks allow for the use of a .csv file (some support the use of .txt files). Seeing that .CSVs are universially used, it is big help to create your lists as .CSVs with descriptive filenames. This will allow you to fly though this process with ease and clarity.

Now let’s get to it!

Google

Last September Google launched an innovative new targeting method to AdWords called Customer Match targeting. This gives marketers the ability to create a new audience created from email addresses. The biggest benefit of using Google AdWords is the massive desktop and mobile reach thanks to their AdSense & AdMob networks. With 13+ million websites and 650,000+ apps the reach that Google offers is fantastic.

First, head over to your Google AdWords account and make your way over to the “Shared library” by way of the link in the bottom left.

Next, we’ll want to make a new audience that we’ll target. In order to do this click on the “view” link underneath the Audiences text.

We’ll want to set up a new remarketing list, but instead of targeting the standard user types, we will target “customer emails”.

Next, it is time to load in the email addresses. Before you begin, make sure that all emails comply with Google’s Customer Match Email Address Policy. Everything look good? Great. Give your audience a name, select email upload, add your .csv list (can use secure hash SHA256 as well). Then accept the policy, add a duration for the members and tack on a description. If everything looks good, upload and save the list.

With Google, the list may take up to three hours to fully upload so hang tight. you can head to the audiences page at any time to see the progress.

Once the audiences have been successfully imported, it is time to make our new campaign. Set up your AdWords campaign in the fashion that you prefer:

When setting up your first Ad Group proceed as usual, but choose “Interests & Remarketing” for the targeting. You’ll then select the In-market audiences drop down and choose “Customer email lists”:

That’s it! Continue on to create all ads and additional ad groups and enjoy the additional reach across Google’s network.

Facebook

Of the major networks, Facebook was the first to offer this targeting through Custom Audiences. When looking at Facebook’s email targeting, it is important to remember that you are targeting the email address used on the account. This can make it a bit tricky when it comes to B2B targeting as most users opt to join the network with personal accounts.

Next we’ll want to create a custom audience (you can jump to this part first, and should if you have multiple lists to load). Click on the Create New Custom Audience list.

Now we’ll want to create a customer list.

Here we’ll wnat to upload a file (.txt or .csv) that will consist of our email addresses.

Upload the file and choose “emails” from the dropdown:

Once created, give the list a name and add a description to the file.

Then tack on your ads and any additional targeting and you are all set!

Twitter

Last, but not least is Twitter Ads. With the addition of Tailored Audiences audiences can target Twitter users off of username, phone numbers and of course email addresses. Of course you’ll need to make sure that your list complies with Twitter’s Tailored Audience T&C’s before moving ahead. All goo? Great, let’s get going.

To get started click on Audience Manager from the “Tools” dropdown. Once loaded we’ll want to create a new audience. Click on “Create new audience” and choose “upload your own list” from the dropdown. Name this audience, then select the email addresses button and upload the .csv. If the list uses secure hash (SHA256) click that box and choose and create the list.

Once the list as been approved, you can then create a new campaign.

And that’s it! You have now officially taken the reach of those emails outside the inbox!

Still have questions? Leave a comment for us. Think this is too big of a lift for your company, well, we can help!